Before the Last Stand
by Josiyx
Summary: This could be our last moment on earth, and there's no-one I'd rather be with. Zeroshii.
1. Prologue:  So this is the day it ends

This could be our last moment on earth, and there's no-one I'd rather be with. Zeroshii.

A new writing piece I'm playing with. Warnings for gratuitous child!Zeroshii in later chapters. Oh, and blood.

* * *

Eyes closed, eyelashes stuck together by half dried blood, the woman still looked beautiful to Zelos. It wasn't his first thought, far from it with the current situation. Still the passing notion floated past him, bringing him back to a thousand other thoughts. A thousand other moments where he should have been running or concentrating or anything other than admiring the ninja hunched against the rockface.

This had to rank up as one of the worst moments though as the redhead rifled through his bag anxiously. A few panacea bottles, an orange gel and a blanket. Real useful after an ambush by the monsters that had swarmed Tethe'alla.

Kharlan beasts, the papers of Meltokio called them. Horrible creatures that hadn't existed until a few years after the new Tree had been born. Which meant of course, that the 'heroes of the two worlds' were to blame for it. Again. Which meant Sheena trying to fix the problem by going off on some suicide mission to destroy them because so much time around Lloyd had finally made her just as crazy as him.

Growling under his breath, Zelos unfolded the blanket, wrapping it around the half-conscious female, already wrapped in bandages to cover the wounds his first aid hadn't cured.

The motion caused her to stir, one brown eye opening enough to look at him. "Zelos?" she managed to murmur, hand lifting in his direction, "What-"

Raising a hand to silence her, he pulled off his trademark smile the best he could. "Good, you're still awake hunny," he chirped, wincing as she attempted to smack at him, "I need you to stay like that, alright?"

Disorientated still, her lips parted again, a drop of blood sliding past from the movement. "Is Orochi... okay?"

Losing some tension in her face, Sheena relaxed as he nodded. "He's finding help," the chosen offered up, knowing there was no light way to explain the situation. They were, for lack of a better word, screwed. Brown eye shutting again to match the blood covered one; the woman began to drift off, only to have her eyelid parted, a worried looking redhead staring into it.

Smiling at her bewildered response, Zelos grinned slightly, backing off. "You smacked your head pretty hard earlier," he explained, not wanting to explain how she'd fallen after being snuck up upon. The ninja would hardly appreciate that, "We wouldn't want your pretty little head to have a concussion, would we?"

Bobbing her head slightly, Sheena leant back against the rock wall, defeated. "Tell me a story," she demanded suddenly, "Like when we were kids."

"Before you were so voluptuous?" he chimed in, raising his arm apologetically as she glared, a hand lifting to smack him, "I mean, back at the Research Institute?" Waiting for her nod, he sighed, sitting back slightly.

"Alright," he mumbled, thinking of an idea, "Okay. This story starts fifteen years ago, in a little place I like to call Meltokio," he started off, "where a really cool, and admittedly slightly spoiled Chosen named Zelos lived. It had been raining for the week before it, meaning he was unable to bask in his followers' attention, so he was excited to be able to roam around the city. He wasn't expecting a surprise that day though. The one that changed his life forever."

Attempting to chuckle at the final emphasized word, Sheena cringed before waving him on slightly, "Go on."

* * *

No, it isn't cut off. The story'll continue on the next chapter. Promise.

Josiy x


	2. Chapter One: Coincidence or Fate?

The beginning of the gratuitous child!Zeroshii. And a lack of violence, I'm afraid. The narration flips around every so slightly in this, but it should be okay to follow.

* * *

The hero of our story- the Chosen One, just so you remember- had been inside the whole week. Normally he was aware of anything particularly interesting that had happened in the city and fun new arrivals, but this week, all he'd noticed was Sebastian and the rain outside. It was one of those times he wished Seles was still around. At least then he'd have someone to play with.

Not that there was anyone when it wasn't raining. Princess Hilda was stuck in training now she was old enough, and everyone else fawned over him too much. Other than harassing the town, there was nothing much to do at all.

What he'd missed in that week though, was a certain disciple of Mizuho, who'd been sent to train as a summoner. A little seven year old named Sheena Fujibayashi, who just happened to be living in a place filled with the best type of people to annoy. Studious people.

Call it a coincidence or call it fate – the redhead certainly did- but the two were already on a collision path as the nearly ten year old Zelos, pride of Meltokio, swung from tree to tree in the upper-class area of the city, fell with a thud onto the Research Institute's roof. The building, being in worse shape than ever since 'who cared where the half-elves lived' became a topic in the royal treasury, couldn't stand the slight impact, dropping the boy to the floor below.

Landing and cursing in worse language than most would expect from a high-class child, Zelos looked up at his two person audience of one researcher clutching her book in fright, and a giggling mass of hair and robes looking over at him with an amused grin.

Taking in the boy's appearance, the half-elf quickly stood and bowed in respect, not speaking a word about the damaged roof they had no gald to fix. "Master Wilder," she gasped out, book still tight against her, "what might you be doing here?"

Shrugging, he simply grinned haughtily. "I was being a ninja," he answered lightly, attempting his best 'ninja pose'.

"You're doing it wrong," the girl spoke up finally from the corner of the room, "If you were any stupider about it, you wouldn't be able to walk and breathe at the same time."

The astonished half-elf who had been explaining the rudimentary science behind summoning turned to scold her. "That's the Chosen One," she hissed, casting a worried glance at the young redhead who was watching them, "words like that could get you thrown into prison."

Staring in shock at the boy who had interrupted their lesson, Sheena's face began to flush red. Head bowed in respect as she'd been taught, her body language gave off an adult manner her voice didn't. "It's still true," she mumbled.

Annoyed, Zelos brought himself to his full height, barely a foot taller than the girl and glared down. "And what makes you so sure?" he tossed out, leaning over her with an annoyed expression.

Wringing her hands and glancing around for an escape, the girl's face turned an even darker shade of pink and she stammered out her answer. "My grandfather's the chief of Mizuho," she managed, sneaking a glance upwards.

Immediately, the boy's entire face changed, bursting into an excited grin. "Really?" he asked, not even waiting for a reply before grabbing the girl's wrist, "Then I command you to teach me how to be a ninja too."

Tugging her straight out the door, leaving the researchers who had come upstairs due to the disturbance to simply survey the damage, Zelos nearly dashed down the road in excitement. A real life ninja, that would be fun. Besides, she didn't seem to back down as much as everyone else. The only adults who ever told him no were the king and Sebastian, and he could ignore the latter if he wanted to. Another kid stopping him was quite the concept.

Still mercilessly pulling the younger child behind him, Zelos carried on down the road, only stopping when she dug in her heels. Glancing over at the pouting face, he knelt down, remembering only vaguely how to deal with a sulking child from when Seles had been around. "What's wrong?"

"I don't wanna play with you," she managed, tears welling up in her eyes, "I don't even know you!"

Sensing the tantrum that went with such a reaction, the redhead tried to think of a way out of trouble. "But it's more fun than studying," he argued, annoyance creeping in with the last word, "And I don't know you either."

Startled by that revelation, the girl flicked her head upwards, loose locks of hair flying off her face with the motion. "Oh," she managed, childlike face brimming with understanding, "I'm Sheena Fujibayashi."

Letting go of her hand, the Chosen himself swept into his best bow, the one he'd been forced to learn before his first royal ball. "And you can call me Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Tethe'alla and ninja-in-training."

The girl giggled again at his response, the sunlight this time catching her face. It caught the lighter parts of her eyes and the smile that seemed to be just for the 'ninja-in-training' in front of her. Even at his young age, the boy sucked in his breath sharply, cheeks flushing slightly.

"You know Sheena, you're going to be a really pretty girl when you grow up," Zelos said smoothly as he-

"That's not what you said," the exhausted woman cut into the story, a smirk inching along her face, "Your exact words were 'Come see me in seven years hunny, and I'll make a woman out of you'."

Reaching over with the small flask of water they'd gotten in the morning, before the attack, Zelos rested the contents against her lips as Sheena took a quick swallow. "And what did you do then?" he asked, a smile crossing his face.

"Kicked you in the face and ran away," she responded lightly, oblivious to the pain she ought to be in and the trickle of blood still occasionally seeping from her hairline, "I ended up hiding in the slums."

He remembered that part at least. Eight hours of scouring the city, feeling guilty, only to find her fast asleep on a rooftop in the poor district of the city. Some things only changed slightly, and for the first year of their tentative friendship, that rooftop had been where Sheena hid. He'd simply carried her on his back from there to the Research Institute and left.

The next day, he'd returned to apologise, only to be tugged on by the little girl, scolded the whole while about skipping out on his 'ninja lessons'. An excuse it seemed, for her to make a new friend.

Nostalgia fading, he grinned slightly at the woman in front of him affectionately. "Then can I continue the story?"

At her nod, he started off again.

* * *

No, I have no idea what I'm doing with the next chapter. Regardless, it'll be out this week. I'm just hoping I can find an excuse to cut to some action.

-Josiy x


	3. Interlude I

No, this 'chapter' doesn't start where the last one left off. Yes, this is purely to mess with the narration. And yes, I enjoy every bit of feedback from you. Enjoy!

* * *

Dashing through the woods at top speed, Orochi attempted to keep himself focused, ignoring what he'd left behind, the strange cries of the Otherworldly beasts that had attacked making it near impossible. Trying to exterminate the creatures had been a foolhardy plan on their parts, but how much of a choice had he had? Sheena, as the chief, had the right to command them all, and letting her run into battle with only that stupid kid would be a foolish mistake.

It had proven to be such, Zelos refusing to leave her side for even a moment. Honestly, with how much older and wiser he'd become since their first meeting, the ninja had expected some sort of real development, the lasting sort by now. Orochi himself had never had any question of what the Chosen thought about Sheena. Still, what was he supposed to do about a pair of blind, stubborn fools?

Save them from their otherwise inevitable deaths he supposed. Their attackers had followed him through the trees, though they were still lumbering behind. Eventually he'd have to fight, and judging by the earlier battle, he'd lose.

Sighing as he continued racing past the trees, the Mizuhoan knew it was inevitable. If his duty was to die, so be it. But he'd be damned if it was to happen before he could deliver the message he'd been sent with.

* * *

Proper update tomorrow, I promise!

- Josiy x


End file.
